Apparatus and method for electrically killing plants

Abstract

An electrical energy processing unit of an apparatus to kill a plant or at least attenuate plant growth is disclosed. The electrical energy processing unit includes a converter and a control circuit. Also disclosed are an apparatus that includes the electrical energy processing unit and a method of utilizing the apparatus. Further disclosed are a computer program for a processor of the control circuit of the electrical energy processing unit and a non-transitory computer readable medium that includes the computer program.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus to electrically kill a plant or at least attenuate plant growth, the apparatus comprising:
 an electrical energy processing unit comprising a converter operable to receive unprocessed electrical energy from an electrical energy source, to convert the unprocessed electrical energy to processed electrical energy having an electrical current and to transmit the processed electrical energy between an applicator electrode of an applicator unit and an earth electrode of an earth unit;   the applicator unit comprising the applicator electrode; and   the earth unit comprising the earth electrode; and   wherein the applicator electrode is configured for direct transmission of the processed electrical energy to at least part of the plant above ground such that an electrical current travels through at least part of the plant above ground as part of a circuit and the electrical current returns to the earth electrode through the ground; and   wherein the electrical energy processing unit further comprises a control circuit operable to control the converter to convert the unprocessed electrical energy to the processed electrical energy, wherein the control circuit is configured to control an aspect of the processed electrical energy comprising one or a combination of the voltage, current, and power.   
     
     
         2 . A method of using an apparatus to electrically kill a plant or at least attenuate plant growth, the method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining an apparatus comprising an electrical energy processing unit, an applicator unit comprising an applicator electrode, an earth unit comprising an earth electrode, wherein the electrical energy processing unit comprises a converter operable to receive unprocessed electrical energy from an electrical energy source, to convert the unprocessed electrical energy to processed electrical energy having an electrical current and to transmit the processed electrical energy between the applicator electrode of the applicator unit and the earth electrode of the earth unit, wherein each of the applicator unit and the earth unit is electrically coupled to the converter, and wherein each of the applicator electrode and the earth electrode comprises an electrically conductive material;   directly contacting a portion of a plant that extends above the ground with the applicator electrode;   disposing a surface of the earth electrode substantially planar to a surface of the ground or into the ground so as to electrically couple the earth unit to the ground;   supplying processed electrical energy directly to the plant with the apparatus, wherein the applicator electrode directly transmits the processed electrical energy to the portion of the plant that extends above the ground such that the electrical current travels through the at least part of the plant above ground as part of a circuit and the electrical current returns to the earth electrode through the surface of the ground; and   controlling an aspect of the processed electrical energy comprising one or a combination of the voltage, current, and power.